Blood is Thicker than Water
by SlytherinQueen87
Summary: G/D When Ginny stays at Hogwarts over the summer to train as a medic she meets up with an interesting patient, Draco Malfoy. As the year progresses, they fall in love, but will their love be able to survive the greatest war of their time? Pg13 for violenc
1. An Eye for an Eye

Chapter 1  
  
Ginny set her bags down lightly and looked upon the magnificent entrance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The date was June seventh, only the second week of summer break. Normally she would have been at home enjoying a long, luxurious summer, but instead she had decided to return to Hogwarts to train as a medic. With the war growing more intense, medics were very high in demand; yet there were few who possessed the skills and training needed.  
  
Ginny could still remember the night when Dumbledore had made his announcement.  
  
"I know this year has been a trying one for all of us. Our world is changing; freedom is no longer safe. The beginning of the war in which light will battle darkness has finally begun. Many of you have lost loved ones to the hands of Lord Voldemort and his minions. Hogwarts has lost three students this year. We are all in for dark times, but together we can survive. Now, more than ever, is the time for us to stick together. I ask that we have a moment of silence in memory of the lives lost this year."  
  
The hall was silent as everyone bowed their heads solemnly.  
  
Dumbledore raised his head and continued, "Thank you. Now for what I am about to offer, I want none to be coaxed into. It is a decision each and every one of you must make for yourself. If you are of heart and you are a rising sixth year or above, then you may join the reserves, meaning that should there be a dire need you will be called in to fight against the dark. You will be asked to sign a binding magical contract so there will be no backing out. Minimal training will be required, either as an extracurricular class next semester at Hogwarts, or over the summer with the ministry. If you are interested you may sign in the back of the great hall. With that said, let us enjoy our feast."  
  
There was silence as everyone digested this information. Sure they knew a war was going on, but it was still hard to believe when they saw no evidence of it.  
  
Suddenly a chair slid back, breaking the eerie silence. Harry Potter stood and walked resolutely towards the table in the back. Ron and Hermione trailing behind him in his wake. Everyone turned to watch Harry, Ron, and Hermione enlist unblinkingly. For them it hadn't ever been a choice. It was a matter of what was right and they were willing to fight for it.  
  
As the trio sat back down to their dinner, all eyes were on them. Then suddenly, there was a tidal wave of students ambling towards the table in the back. It seemed that this show of bravery was the push many of the students needed, including Ginny. Gryffindor let out a cheer, which soon became deafening as the other houses joined in.  
  
Afterwards, Ron had tried to pressure Ginny into enlisting, but Hermione had finally insisted that they leave Ginny to make her own decisions. And she had made her own decision. Fighting simply wasn't her forte. She wanted to help, but be behind the scenes.  
  
Over the next few weeks, Ginny flirted with several ideas, but none really appealed to her. By the time the leaving feast rolled around she was no closer to a decision than before. Luckily for her, she bumped into some unexpected guidance by the name of Albus Dumbledore.  
  
He had insisted that they have a chat and so they did. He understood her reluctance to fight and offered her a happy alternative, medical training. Ginny would return over the summer and work under the tutelage of Madame Pomfrey.  
  
And that was why Virginia Weasley was standing on the doorstep of Hogwarts in the mid-summer.  
  
She looked around nervously before lifting the gigantic brass knocker. She let it clang three times and stepped back from the door. Just then, the door swung open revealing Severus Snape.  
  
"No need to knock, Miss Weasley," he snapped.  
  
"It hardly seemed right to barge in," she answered truthfully.  
  
He nodded curtly and picked up her bags. "Madame Pomfrey is currently out restocking her medicine cupboard and won't return until this evening. So I will be showing you to your rooms."  
  
"My rooms?"  
  
"Yes, of course. Gryffindor Tower won't be reopened until next semester."  
  
"Oh."  
  
He began to walk briskly down the hallway with Ginny trailing behind him, until they finally reached a corridor with a line of tall columns. Professor Snape stopped abruptly at the third column and hissed out 'reverto'.  
  
The column opened with a groan, revealing a trapdoor, which Snape promptly kicked open. In front of Ginny was a sliver ladder leading downwards into the dark abyss that would be her rooms.  
  
"Well are you going to stand there all day or go inside?" Snape sneered.  
  
"May I do magic?" Ginny asked, ignoring his question.  
  
"As long as you are on the Hogwart grounds. Now if you don't mind, these suitcases are getting heavy."  
  
Ginny nodded before he could continue and used her wand to light the darkness below. Using her foot to rid the entrance of spider webs, she descended. Professor Snape levitated her bags down.  
  
"Dinner is at seven. You may work out your schedule with Madame Pomfrey then. As for your lessons with me, they will begin after breakfast tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you, Professor."  
  
His only response was a snort and the slam of a trapdoor. She could hear the column sliding back into place. Ginny sighed and looked around her. The room she was standing in was a semi-circle with several doors leading from it. In the back of the room was a small kitchenette and in the front was a sort of den setup. She found that there were three bedrooms attached to the main area and a bath. Minus the dust and cobwebs, her rooms were fit for a queen.  
  
After a few weeks, Ginny began to get into the swing of life at Hogwarts. The Professors were all exceptionally kind to her. Her studies were challenging, but not overly difficult and for once in her life she had some peace and quiet.  
  
Ginny was restocking the infirmary sleeping draughts one morning when Madame Pomfrey bustled out of her office.  
  
"Ginny, I need to get some potion ingredients from the Apothecary. Would you mind watching over the infirmary for an hour or two?"  
  
"Of course, I will."  
  
"Now should there be an emergency send word to me immediately and call Professor Snape in." She was halfway out the door when she turned and added, "Oh and thank you dear."  
  
Ginny nodded and shut the door softly behind her. Was that woman ever not in a hurry? About an hour had passed with no interruption and Ginny was beginning to get bored. She had just finished restocking the sleeping drafts and decided to sit down. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.  
  
However, her peaceful slumber ended abruptly with a thunderous pounding on the infirmary door. Ginny jumped out of her chair in alarm and moved quickly to open the door. When she did the sight before her was not a pretty one. A pale blonde boy was lying lifeless in the potion master's arms, blood dipping to the floor.  
  
"Where is Poppy?" Snape demanded.  
  
"She's not here." Ginny stammered.  
  
"What do you mean she isn't here?" Snape roared.  
  
"She left for London to get supplies."  
  
Several teachers appeared in the doorway to see what the commotion was about and began questioning Severus loudly. He tried to deter their questions and get the boy into a bed, but with no luck. Ginny could see they were getting nowhere fast.  
  
"Excuse me," she said timidly. Everyone continued talking loudly. "Excuse me!" she tried again, this time screaming. The teachers whirled around to face her, looking shocked at her sudden outburst.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey is in London right now and this person needs serious help. Could someone please send word to her?"  
  
Professor Flitwick hurried out of the room.  
  
With the distraction of Ginny, Snape was able to lay the battered boys down on one of the infirmary beds. Ginny rushed over towards the bedside and gasped at what she saw there. The blonde boy was Draco Malfoy.  
  
"My God," she whispered in shock. "It isn't Draco Malfoy is it?"  
  
Snape nodded his ascent, all the while looking irritated with her lack of concentration.  
  
He was covered in blood, which made it hard to tell what was wrong with him. So Ginny performed a quick scouring charm, which revealed a nasty gash above his left eye, a lot of bruises, and a knot the size of Texas on his head.  
  
From Draco's pallid face, it was obvious he had lost a lot of blood. She immediately healed the gash and cuts to stop the bleeding, but color didn't seem to be returning to his face.  
  
"Professor Snape, do you have a blood restorative?" she asked doubtfully.  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"How long will it take you to brew one?"  
  
"Less that ten minutes if I had dragon's blood, but I am all out."  
  
"Malfoy will die if he doesn't get a blood restorative into his system soon. Is there any substitute for dragon's blood?"  
  
"None that we have available to us."  
  
Ginny looked at him uneasily, "What about human blood?"  
  
Snape contemplated this for a second and said slowly, "In theory yes, but that is out of the question in this case. It is far too dangerous. A lot of blood would be needed, not just a drop."  
  
"Professor, you are capable of healing cuts correct?"  
  
"Yes," he said eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
She walked over to the medical cabinets and got a clean razor and a vile.  
  
"Weasley!" Snape barked. "I would rather lose one life than two. Now, put that down."  
  
He walked forwards and she dug the blade into the tender skin of her wrist. She clenched her teeth as her blood poured into the vile she was holding.  
  
"I took an oath Professor Snape," she murmured, watching the dark red substance slide into the clear bottle.  
  
The world flickered in and out of focus. Everything was blurry and then there was nothing but darkness.  
  
AN: Hey, that was almost a cliffie, huh? Well, I know I promised major updates, but well I lied. I am going on a cruise, and we are leaving tomorrow. So, I won't even be here on June first. However, I AM taking my laptop on the trip with me so you can expect a brand spanking new chapter when I return! R/R. 


	2. The Truce

AN: Hey guys, I am sooo sorry it took me this long to get out the next chapter. I kinda hit a writer's block near the end of the chapter. Hopefully, this will be adequate. And I promise next chapter won't be such a long wait!!  
  
Ch. 2 The Truce  
  
Hours later, Ginny woke in a cold sweat. She started to sit up, shivering uncontrollably, but was thoroughly surprised when she felt two strong hands push her back. She looked up frantically and saw two icy gray eyes staring back at her.  
  
"You need to lay down, Virginia," Draco told her calmly.  
  
She stopped resisting and lay still.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked.  
  
"C-cold," she answered, her teeth chattering slightly.  
  
She could see the tip of his wand light up as he whispered something.  
  
Instant warmth flowed through her as she lay down. Draco returned to the chair next to her bed, watching as she turned over and sighed contentedly in her sleep.  
  
The following morning, Ginny woke to sunshine pouring in through the infirmary windows. She shifted slightly, trying to block the sun from her eyes, but felt a sharp pain run through her. She sat up with a slight moan.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked a voice from behind her.  
  
She whipped around to face it. It was Draco Malfoy. She wondered for a slight moment what he was doing here, and why he even cared what was wrong. She finally just mumbled, "My wrist."  
  
He grabbed a vial from her bedside table and held it to her mouth. She swallowed grudgingly.  
  
"You know I could have held it myself," she muttered, indignantly.  
  
He just shrugged.  
  
Ginny held her wrist up to examine it and was shocked to realize that it had not been healed. It was wrapped in layers of gauze covered with a thick bandage.  
  
"Why hasn't Madame Pomfrey healed my wrist?"  
  
"Are you serious, Virginia? Healing drains a person's magic. Then, you sliced yourself open." He scowled at her, in the way that one might if a small child tried to parachute off the roof. "If Madame Pomfrey had used any magic on you, it would have put you into shock. You probably would have died. So instead your wrists are being healed the muggle way."  
  
"What's the muggle way?"  
  
"Hah, I don't think you really want to know the answer to that," Draco said grimacing slightly.  
  
Ginny shrugged. Then, looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Hey, you called me Virginia."  
  
"So?"  
  
He started to walk away, but Ginny stopped him.  
  
"So, why are you being nice to me?"  
  
"I thought that would be obvious, even to you," he sneered slightly. There was a pause. "You saved my life." He drawled, looking at her strangely.  
  
"That's my job, helping people."  
  
"Yeah right, like you don't want anything in return. I'm not stupid."  
  
"Could have fooled me," she said scathingly. Then after a few seconds, "I just can't believe you would think I would do something like that."  
  
"I grew up in Slytherin house, remember. We trust no one."  
  
She scowled.  
  
"Don't take it so personally."  
  
"You accuse me of saving your life for my own gain, and I'm 'not supposed to take it personally'," she mocked.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
There was an awkward pause, in which they both wondered if Ginny was sincere. Then, she stuck out her hand.  
  
"Truce?"  
  
Draco looked at her for a moment. Then, he nodded.  
  
"Truce," he responded. They shook on it, and Draco couldn't help but notice how small Ginny's hand was within his.  
  
"So, when do we get out of here?" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"I think Pomfrey said around lunch, which is only an hour away," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.  
  
"Excellent, I'm starving!"  
  
The thought of little Ginny bolting food was laughable, but Draco managed to keep a straight face. After all, hiding emotions was almost second nature.  
  
"Want to play some chess," he asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Sure," she said, slightly surprised. "You'll have to conjure it though. I don't have a wand."  
  
Draco swished and flicked. "Accio Draco Malfoy's chess board."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I prefer to use my own board."  
  
"Either that or you can't conjure," Ginny said with a smirk.  
  
"Nobody asked you, Weasel," he muttered.  
  
"What happened to the truce?"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna play me or not?"  
  
The first game went on for almost half an hour, while they played cat and mouse. Draco was down to three pieces: the king, a pawn, and a knight. Ginny had been moving in and out of check with her queen, and it was obvious she would win. Draco was just prolonging his misery, and they both knew it.  
  
A few minutes later, Ginny crowed out, "Check mate! I win! HA!"  
  
"Well, what did you expect? The only people I ever practice on are Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
Ginny grimaced. "Why do you hang out with them anyways? I mean there are tons of other Slytherins with more brains than both of them together!"  
  
"It is expected of me. Death eater politics," he added without thinking.  
  
Ginny mouthed wordlessly for a second. "S-so you ARE a death eater?"  
  
Draco saw red. How could she even think that? The very girl who had healed the wounds caused by the death eaters. How could life be so unfair? For the first time in his life, he had done the right thing, and where had it gotten him? No where but onto Voldemort's hit list.  
  
"Fuck you, Weasley," he said vehemently.  
  
He stalked away.  
  
Madame Pomfrey bustled over a few minutes later.  
  
"You kids can go to lunch now, but I'd like both of you to check in with me tonight after dinner. Especially you Ginny. We'll need to give you some more antibiotics"  
  
She nodded and followed Draco's retreating back to the great hall.  
  
Most of the staff was already seated. So Draco and Ginny were forced to sit across from each other.  
  
"Could you pass the potatoes?" Ginny asked timidly.  
  
Draco scowled and slid it towards her.  
  
The rest of the meal went the same. Ginny speaking as little as possible, and Draco not at all. No one seemed to notice except one pair of twinkling blue eyes at the head of the table.  
  
Ginny was hurrying out of the great hall when a hand stopped her. She whirled around to face the Headmaster.  
  
"Good afternoon, Ginny. Feeling any better?"  
  
"Much better. Thank you."  
  
"Excellent," he said smiling pleasantly. "Now, I believe you realize Mr. Malfoy will be staying with us over the summer, correct?"  
  
Ginny nodded nervously.  
  
"I was hoping you wouldn't mind his sharing your rooms?"  
  
"Oh, umm, sure," she stammered.  
  
"Oh, wonderful! Thank you for being so generous. I'll go inform Mr. Malfoy."  
  
As Ginny watched Dumbledore's retreating back, her brain screamed at her to call him back and explain that she couldn't possibly share living quarters with Draco Malfoy. What had she gotten herself into this time?  
  
She walked back towards her rooms feeling utterly stressed. She only got halfway down the hall before a voice called out to her.  
  
She pivoted slowly.  
  
Draco Malfoy.  
  
She waited on him to catch up with her. Then, they began back down the hall in an uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Listen, Draco. I don't know what happened to you, or why you were in the infirmary, but I know I shouldn't have said what I did. And I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah right. Even if I did tell you what happened, you probably wouldn't believe me."  
  
"Why don't you try me?" Ginny asked quietly.  
  
"Maybe I will, but not now."  
  
A few moments later, they were standing at the entrance to their rooms.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to go down?" Draco asked impatiently.  
  
"Umm, well, I would, but I can't use my hand," Ginny said staring at the gaping hole.  
  
Draco gave a deep sigh.  
  
"Can't you just do it one handed?"  
  
"No, the ladder sways. And I'm- uh- scared of heights."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"I guess I'll have to carry you, then."  
  
"Are you sure you can lift me?"  
  
Draco snorted, looking Ginny up and down. "Yeah, I think I can handle it."  
  
Without another moment of hesitation, Draco bent and lifted Ginny in his arms, as if she weighed no more than a feather.  
  
AN: Thanks to all the reviewers of chapter one!! Ya'll are great. Yeah, I know that was kind of a weird place to end it, but I got sick of writing lol. 


	3. Temptation

Ch. 3 Temptation  
  
Life slowly returned to routine. Of course, the routine was slightly altered, but it was nice to have a little normalcy in her life for once. Draco and she were getting along fairly well. They bickered a good deal but had yet to have any major disagreements, like their previous one. Draco had never told Ginny what had happened to him that night, and she had not asked. It went unspoken between them that he was not ready to talk, and she respected that.  
  
The clock struck nine, and Ginny yawned piteously. There was no way she was getting up this morning. After all, it was a Saturday. And for once, she didn't have any work for Madame Pomfrey to finish. Even Snape had left her no work as he would be away this weekend. He insisted that without his careful guidance, she would bungle the healing potions needed. So with all of this in mind, Ginny rolled over and closed her eyes.  
  
She slept peacefully for several blissful minutes, but sat straight up when she heard a door slam. She lay back down and tried to fall back asleep, but all she could concentrate on was the noise outside: drawers opening and closing, silverware rattling, etc. Ginny got up grudgingly and plodded out into the main room, looking disheveled.  
  
"Oy Malfoy! Think you could be a bit louder?" she called.  
  
"Morning to you too, Sunshine," he said, thoroughly enjoying the look of irritation on her face.  
  
"I'm going back to sleep. Try to keep it to a dull roar," she grumbled, moving slowly back to her room.  
  
Ginny flopped onto her bed stomach first, whipped the covers over her head, and fell into a dead sleep. Ten minutes passed without waking until Draco dropped a pan. A furious Ginny Weasley hopped out of bed and bustled into the kitchen area of her rooms.  
  
"What ARE you doing in here?" she screeched.  
  
"Making breakfast." He replied smoothly.  
  
"Really?" she asked, looking hopeful.  
  
She leaned over to inspect his handiwork and was appalled. The eggs were burnt and had big bits of shell in them, the kippers were an interesting shade indeed, and there was a mess all over the place. However, two pieces of toast lay out perfectly done.  
  
"Have you ever cooked before?" Ginny asked with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"No."  
  
Ginny snorted.  
  
"Looks like we're having toast," she mumbled.  
  
"What makes you think I'm sharing my toast with you?" Draco said with a smirk.  
  
"Seeing as I know how to cook and you don't, I figured we could work out an agreement," she added slyly.  
  
"Have a piece, will you?" he offered politely.  
  
"Why thank you."  
  
After breakfast, Ginny instructed Draco on cleaning charms, eradicating the disaster in the kitchen within seconds.  
  
"So what are we going to do today?" she asked.  
  
"You mean you don't have work?"  
  
"Nope, Snape is gone this weekend, and Pomfrey decided to give me a break."  
  
"Good. Do you have any idea how boring it gets sitting down here all alone?"  
  
"You could always train to be a medic like me. Your potions scores were pretty high weren't they?"  
  
"Like I want to be bossed around by Snape and Pomfrey for the rest of the year."  
  
Draco's eyes contradicted his words.  
  
"If you say so," Ginny said, smirking slightly. She paused a moment. "Well, you want to walk around?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
A few minutes later, they were strolling down the halls. They soon passed Peeves the poltergeist who was floating idly in mid air.  
  
"Ooh, what do we have here? A Gryffindor and a Slytherin together?" he exclaimed. "My, my, what are things coming to?"  
  
"Shut up Peeves," Ginny demanded.  
  
"No, I don't think I will," Peeves answered with a resounding cackle.  
  
Draco raised his wand threateningly.  
  
"Spoil sport," muttered Peeves, floating away.  
  
They walked a bit farther until Ginny exclaimed, "Wait! I know that passage. Fred and George told me about it. It heads straight to Hogsmeade!"  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
Draco lapsed into thought.  
  
He was sitting in a round oak paneled room filled with pictures of previous headmasters. In front of him, in the flesh, was the current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore had looked him straight in the eyes.  
  
"Draco, you know what serious danger you are in, I assume? "  
  
"Yes Sir. I do," he had answered.  
  
"Then, you realize it would not be safe for you to leave the castle, especially to return home?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"As long as that is clear, I believe we will be alright."  
  
He had turned to leave.  
  
"And Draco?"  
  
He turned back around.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He had simply nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
Leaving the school would be complete disobedience. And yet, it was so tempting. In a word, Draco blasted his conscious with a semi automatic.  
  
"So are we going to go or not?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"We are going alright," Ginny answered, smiling mischievously.  
  
"Dissendium."  
  
AN: For lack of time tonight and because I want to work on my original fiction, this is where the chapter ends. To see what happens at Hogsmeade, tune in for chapter four! Lol. I'll update as soon as possible!! 


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